Downtown Fort Worth businesses receive $137K in grants after Sandman hotel explosion
May 30,2024
See full Fort Worth Report article by Ismael M. Belkoura here.
Lisa Jackson was ready to hire the first employee of La’Creamian in January.
After opening her downtown Fort Worth ice cream shop in May 2023, the veteran-turned-business owner saw consistent growth. She credited the success to the relationships she had with the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel and other businesses in the area that referred their customers to La’Creamian.
After the Jan. 8 explosion at Sandman, everything changed. Even after sidewalks reopened, foot traffic was still low because Eighth Street was closed, and the smell of gas hung in the air.
“It was just a horrible situation,” Jackson said.
La’Creamian was one of four businesses that received a grant from the city of Fort Worth’s Sandman Explosion Business Recovery program. The grants range from $27,000 to $40,000.
The total amount awarded was $137,205.10:
- Cowtown Segway Adventures received $40,969.79.
- La’Creamian received $37,223.64.
- Barber’s Bookstore received $31,414.40.
- David Dalton Salon received $27,597.27.
“We had businesses who were harmed after that explosion, and Fort Worth figured out a way to help those small businesses,” Mayor Pro Tem Gyna Bivens said during the May 21 meeting.
Eligible expenses for the program included rent and mortgage payments, employee support, cost of utilities, alternative business access costs such as curbside and delivery, and any other needs approved by the city’s economic development department.
The money will help Jackson pay for insurance, exterminators, repairs and other expenses. She also plans to pivot her marketing and purchase a cart so she can sell ice cream and coffee around the area.
Above all, she wants to remind people that La’Creamian is still open.
“We are still here,” Jackson said. “We still want to be a part of the community.”
The city’s Local Development Corp. approved the program and the distribution of $250,000 in late March. Businesses could apply for up to $50,000.
Guidelines for the application process stated the business must:
- Be a brick-and-mortar location within the immediate vicinity of the hotel.
- Have a maximum of 50 employees.
- Be experiencing a decline in employment or revenue because of the explosion.
- Be in good standing with city utilities, permits and taxes.
- Have been in the location a minimum of six months before the explosion.
Six businesses were eligible for the grants. Only four applied, said Ori Fernandez, assistant director of the Fort Worth Economic Development Department.
Brian Alvin Perkins Jr., the current owner of Barber’s Bookstore, has worked at the store for 60 years. The explosion had a minimal effect on Perkins’ business but the blast damaged two windows, he said.
“Fortunately, I managed to walk out 30 minutes ahead of time,” he said.
Perkins plans to use most of the grant for marketing to offset the effect of Eighth Street’s closure.
Since applying, Jackson said the city, the Sandman and customers have supported her business and that the setback the explosion caused will not be the “finale” of La’Creamian.
“The community has just wrapped its arms around us and I can’t be any more thankful,” Jackson said.
Ismael M. Belkoura is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at ismael.belkoura@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Locations Mentioned: Barber's Bookstore, Cowtown Segway Tours, David Dalton Salon, La'Creamian